BJP wanted to postpone Haryana Assembly polls due to anti-incumbency: Congress' Ajay Maken

New Delhi [India], September 1 (ANI): Congress leader Ajay Maken on Sunday said that the BJP wanted to postpone the Assembly election in Haryana due to the anti-incumbency they face in the state.
"We are ready. We were ready to earlier too. We are prepared even if the elections take place tomorrow. BJP wants to postpone the elections in some or the other way due to anti-incumbency. We will win comfortably," Maken told ANI.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday revised the polling day for Haryana Assembly polls from October 1 to October 5, this year as well as moved the counting of votes for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana Assemblies from October 4 to October 8.
On Congress's candidates for polls, Maken said, "Winnability is the criteria. Tickets are being given to those who are winning."
AICC in-charge of Haryana, Deepak Babaria said this delay will not affect the Congress' preparations for the polls.
"...BJP had issues. They were running the government for 10 years through adhocism, they set the dates through the same adhocism...later the dates were changed. But in this process, the affected the entire administration, voters and timetable...This won't affect us at all. We see this as nothing else but their failure," Babaria said.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore also slammed the Election Commission for postponing the election.
"Not only ED and CBI but now Election Commission has also started to work for the BJP. It's very unfortunate that the Election Commission, for a political party's demand, has pushed the date back and it shows that the BJP is afraid of the defeat in Haryana," Tagore told ANI.
"The unpopular government in Haryana which is led by BJP will be defeated with a huge margin in each constituency and the Congress Government will be formed in Haryana with a clear verdict from the people," he added.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Anil Vij on Sunday defended the EC's decision. He criticised the Congress for criticising the EC's move, saying that it is the reflection of their running away from the election.
"This reflects the commitment of BJP to the democracy in India and providing opportunities for people to vote in large numbers. On the part of Congress, it reflects that they are running away," Vij told ANI.
"If you (Congress) do not like this process, sit at home and don't cast your vote. Let those who like the process, vote...What rigging it is if dates have been revised? The dates have been revised in the interest of people," he added.
Meanwhile, former Haryana Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday said that the move reflects the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) acknowledgement of an impending electoral loss.
"It is the Election Commission's right, they have extended the date. They (BJP) have already accepted defeat in Haryana. When the Haryana government wrote a letter to the Election Commission, I had said at that time that the BJP had accepted defeat," Hooda said. (ANI)